Wish Upon the Water
by madamada-chan
Summary: When Rin and Haruka first met.


Disclaimers: Free! belongs to Kyoto Animation and related parties, and High Speed, the light novel it was based on, was originally written by Kouji Ouji-sensei. This is just fan work.

A/N: A little idea that just didn't want to leave me until I wrote it down. If you enjoy it even just a bit, I'll be happy ^^

-x-

**Wish Upon the Water**

"Tch."

A little boy with flaming red hair pouted and stomped his foot. Earlier, he got scolded by his mother again. And it was all because of his little sister again.

It all started when he went to the convenience store to buy himself a bottle of _ramune_- a sparkling drink. There was a new flavor that came out, which his classmates were raving about. Curious, he went to check it out. He didn't really care much for the taste, but what attracted him to it after he finished the drink was the little blue marble inside that reminded him of the color of the swimming pool his dad used to take him to.

He liked it so much he brought the bottle home to keep it like a little treasure in his room, but as soon as his younger sister saw it, she instantly got attracted to the drawings on the bottle and asked for it. He refused, of course, there was no way he'd give his precious little marble away to anyone- not even to his younger sister. Arguing and tug-of-bottle ensued, with either refusing to let go until the bottle fell from their hold, breaking into pieces on the floor.

"Now look what you did, stupid Gou!" He yelled.

"Don't call me Gou! Stupid brother!" She retorted.

"Rin, Gou, what's going on here? What was that noise?"

Their mother, who had just come in from the kitchen saw the shards of glass on the floor. "Oh my. You two, get away from there so I can clean that up."

She took out a broom, swept the mess up, and wiped the area with a damp rug to make sure there were no miniscule pieces left with the speed and thoroughness only a mother could be capable of. She then called them both over to the living room for a talk. "Now tell me what happened."

Gou instantly got on her lap and told her how she only wanted to ask Rin for the bottle but Rin wouldn't give it, to which Rin reasoned he didn't because it was special to him. His mother tried to pacify them both, and told them that if they're good, she'll buy them each their own _ramune_ on the weekend. However, after Gou happily left and went up to her room, their mother called Rin over to sit beside her.

Holding his hands, she gently reminded him "Rin, you're the older brother so you're supposed to be the one to give. Okay, sweetheart?"

"Why do I always have to?"

Rin stomped out the door, which led him to where he was now, a park not too far from their house. There were benches where grandpas and grandmas were chatting- some of them dozing off, a children's playground with swings, slides, monkey bar, sand bar and spring animals- which he always thought were an odd combination because there was a whale, a dolphin, a shark, a penguin and a butterfly?! Then at the centre was a big marble fountain, where three kids were busy chasing each other around and around.

He was getting tired watching them, and just when he was wondering if those kids themselves would ever get tired, one of them- a girl in a pretty pink dress with white lace details and matching pink ribbons leaned on the fountain. "I'm pooped" she panted. Suddenly, her eyes seemed to sparkle when she spotted something on the ground.

"Lucky!" She crouched down to pick it up, which caught the attention of the two other girls she was playing tag with earlier.

"What's that?" Asked one of the girls in a lovely pastel dress with peony prints, peering.

"A coin." She opened her hand to show it to the girls. In the middle of her palm was a shiny 100 yen coin. "They say that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you can make a wish."

"Really? Wow!" Squealed the other girl in a summer cherry blossom-inspired pale pink _yukata_.

"Make a wish! Make a wish!" Cheered on the two.

The girl holding a coin then closed her eyes for a few seconds then threw the coin into the fountain.

Rin remembered he had some coins left from the change he got when he bought that _ramune_. He fished for a 100 yen coin from his pants pocket, and went around the fountain to a spot where there were the least people around. He quickly surveyed his surroundings to check if anyone was looking. After making sure there was no one else there but a grandma snoozing on the bench, he quickly shut his eyes, made a wish and threw the coin.

"Ouch!"

Startled by the noise that came from inside the fountain, Rin quickly darted towards it to look. There, submerged in the water except for his head, was a tiny boy in nothing but swimming trunks. He looked up at Rin, scowling.

Rin's eyes widened. Speechless, he could only gaze at the other boy's eyes. They were blue, and glimmered just the way the ocean did under the sun on a warm summer day. It was like the blue marble in that ramune bottle, only so much prettier.

-x-

"That kind of thing happened huh…"

"Seriously, Haru. I can't believe you already forgot about the day we first met." Rin sighed in exasperation.

"Wish"

"Huh?"

"That time, what did you wish for?" Haruka looked at him with the face like that of a curious child, head tilted to one side.

"I wonder…"

Drowning in the eyes that had captivated him right from the very first time he looked into them many years ago, Rin quickly looked around him before stealing a kiss. He got up from the fountain, leaving a petrified Haruka behind.

'_I wish I could have a treasure that's only mine. Forever and ever!'_

End.


End file.
